


Of Stars and Flowers

by EternityEmbraced



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Dating, F/F, F/M, Multi, Polyamory, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 21:43:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8940520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternityEmbraced/pseuds/EternityEmbraced
Summary: What if the "love triangle" was only misinterpreted? When Aeris learns of the more open relationships that the Cetra used to have, she understands why she has such an interest in both Cloud and Tifa.





	

"Mom?"

 

It was one of those rare and special moments where Aeris did not need to be in the church to feel her presence. Now that they had escaped Midgar, the noise of the city was replaced with the soothing sound of the wind. The world was wide open, laid out before them in long, grassy fields, tall mountains, and the salty smell of the nearby sea. The team had split into two groups, with Barret and Red XIII going on ahead of them while she traveled with Cloud and Tifa. The plan was to meet up at the inn in the town of Kalm where they could rest and decide what to do from there.

 

But when she suddenly felt that familiar presence, Aeris knew she couldn't ignore it.

 

"Oh, Cloud!" she stopped in her tracks and both Cloud and Tifa turned to look at her. "I... there's something I need to do! It will only take a moment!"

 

"Now?" Cloud asked before pointing back the way they came. "Can't it wait when we're not out in the open? We don't have much time to lose."

 

"It will only take a second, I promise! Just stay here!" and without further warning, she turned and ran a short distance away from the two.

 

Cloud scratched the back of his head but refused to protest further. Tifa stepped to his side, folding her arms infront of her chest. Although she could not hear what was being said, it looked as though Aeris were talking... to the sky? Her head was lifted upward and every now and then she would shift, walking one way and then the other. It was certainly strange behavior, but given everything that had happened...

 

"Do you think she's talking to the planet?" Tifa whispered, causing Cloud to glance back at her.

 

"Didn't she say she could only do that in the church?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

 

"Think about it, we're out of the slums and pretty far from Midgar. The clean air is probably doing wonders for her." she suggested. "She did say she could speak with the planet, and with her real mom..."

 

Silence fell over the two. It was a strange thing to think about and even stranger to hear it said out loud. Considering everything that had happened, it would be foolish of either of them to write this off as one of Aeris's eccentricities.

 

 

  
"Mom, is that really you?" Aeris whispered. "I thought I would only be able to hear you in the church!"

 

The noise of the city though quieter was still ever present, but it gave Aeris time to breathe and clear her mind. When she fully relaxed, she knew she was not mistaking the voice and presence of her mother. Suddenly the world around her seemed to fade away into a soft, white light. The yellow flowers from her church seemed to rise up from the grass beneath her and spread out across the terrain. From behind her, two warm arms folded around her shoulders. Aeris sighed with relief and smiled warmly at the familiar, warm embrace of her mother, Ifalna.

 

"You've left Midgar, just like I knew you would," her voice was soft, almost magical. "You are well on your way. And I see you've made some friends."

 

Happiness lit Aeris's face like the warm sun. "I'm happy we can do this here. There's so much I've wanted to tell you." she folded her hands in front of her and glanced down at the flowers near her feet. "I've met someone. He feels familiar to me, but different. I think I'd like to get to know him better."

 

In her mind, Aeris thought back to the moment she met Cloud. With all the chaos that had ensued after the first reactor bombing, he was calm and unfazed by it all. Through the smoke and the fire, he seemed to bring a sort of peace with him. Maybe it was his eyes: they reminded her of the way light shimmers underwater. Calm, pretty, almost hypnotizing to look at. Maybe that's why, of all the people running around her, she wanted to approach him. She hadn't expected him to buy a flower from her. Despite being a mercenary, that was an unusual sign of gentleness from someone in that line of work.

 

It would make perfect sense that she would be attracted to him from the very beginning. And it would make sense that this attraction would grow, given the lengths he went through in order to protect her.

 

"But..."

 

There was a hesitation and an uncertainty in Aeris's voice, and Ifalna recognized it immediately. "What is it?"

 

Had this been another person, Aeris might have kept it to herself. Her mother, in all her wisdom and love, was not one to judge her for her feelings. Still, it seemed funny to give it words.

 

"Well, I would like to get to know _her_ better, too..."

 

When she first saw Tifa, she was far away from her in Don Corneo's carriage. She was pretty from what she could see of her, but when they were finally face to face, Aeris had to admit she was a little starstruck. She did look gorgeous in heavy make up and the skimpy purple dress, but Aeris found her even lovelier with her more natural, everyday look. She was brave and incredibly strong, but still had a softness to her that made her approachable. There wasn't a lot of time for them to properly get to know each other, but the moments they had together did pique her curiosity.

 

A blush rose up into her face and she laughed nervously. "It's silly, I've only just met both of them. But they've taken care of me, and they've done so much for me already. I guess I'm just having a hard time choosing who I want to spend more time with."

 

"Why do you need to choose at all?"

 

Of all the things she expected her mother to say, that was not one of them. Aeris's green eyes went big with surprise. She turned around and found herself staring into the amused face of a much taller woman. Her features were very much like her own, only matured and refined. They had the same hair, though Ifalna's fell in long, thick waves. Her gown was the same as Aeris had remembered: dark pink with a lavender scarf around her hips. She was otherworldly, as pretty as any angel, and every time Aeris saw her she was still taken aback by her loveliness.

 

But what could her mother possibly be suggesting?

 

"Think of it this way," the Cetra laughed at the perplexed look on her daughter's face. "This man you've met... this isn't the first time you've had these feelings for someone. The only difference is you've had time to move on from the last one. Every now and then, you meet someone, and then you meet someone else, who you also find yourself attracted to."

 

There was a brief sadness at the mention of her last love. Zack had walked out of her life and left such a scar on her heart. At times she tried to reason with herself that perhaps he had found someone new. Even if he had forgotten her, it would have been better than the alternative. But she remembered that day in the church, and that undeniable, horrible feeling in the pit of her heart...

 

Ifalna's hand came to her cheek, breaking her out of her trance. Aeris took a deep breathe and pushed back her tears. It wouldn't do to start crying now, not that she was having such a special moment with her mother.

 

"So are you saying I should... date both of them?" the question prompted another soft laugh from Ifalna. Aeris shifted awkwardly but couldn't hide just how appealing she found such a suggestion. "I mean, wouldn't that be kind of risqué?"

 

"It depends. I suppose the people in Midgar _prefer_ monogamy, but you don't know about the Ancients. We Cetra were more open with our relationships. It seems silly that, with so many people in this world, and with so many deep, personal connections we make in our lives, that we would only find love in just _one_ person."

 

"I had no idea!" Aeris chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "Well, that sounds good to me but... well, what if they don't see it that way?"

 

"It couldn't hurt to find out." her mother suggested. "You are young and unmarried. There's no need for you to feel tied down to one person just yet. Get to know them before you make any decision. Something tells me the three of you will have plenty of time to figure out what you want."

 

 

_"Aeris?"_

 

 

The voice seemed to come from far away and yet nearby. Aeris turned her head towards the sound but saw nothing but the white horizon and the endless flower field. She looked back to her mother only to see that she had faded away from her. These conversations had a way of ending so abruptly...

 

 

_"Aeris? Are you okay?"_

 

 

 

It wasn't until she felt them upon her that the dreamlike world around her shifted. The whiteness suddenly burst into color and the flower fields cleared away. The open, grassy fields and big mountains suddenly reappeared all around her. With this suddenly change, Aeris felt a sudden dizziness that knocked her off her feet. She fell backwards, but to her great forture two pairs of arms caught her and lowered her towards the grass.

 

"Are you okay? What happened?" Tifa's voice was the first she heard. Aeris waited for her vision to focus before she turned her head and found herself gazing up into her friend's lovely face.

 

"Did something happen?" that was Cloud's voice. Aeris glanced back to him. His arm was around her shoulders and she felt Tifa's hand at her back. The situation itself was enough to make her blush.

 

_Whatever am I going to do?_ she thought to herself before sitting up straight. "It's, it's nothing. I'm fine, really."

 

That wasn't enough to convince either of them but they didn't pry further. They helped her to her feet and stayed close as she dusted off the grass and dirt from her pink dress. Suddenly she understood what her mother meant: they both seemed to care about her. Later she would discover that they seemed to care deeply about each other as well. This was going to be a very delicate matter no matter who she chose to pursue.

 

But something told her it was going to be a lot of fun along the way...


End file.
